ladydobz

I'm so sorry. Hopefully you hear back favorably from other schools. 

Thanks so much! You too!

Okay, that's an AWESOME subfield! I wish you all the luck in getting in! ?

I'm on the waitlist at UIUC, and my subfield is American fencing history (like the sport where people stab each other).
 

Illinois sent out waitlists at least. Purdue is any day now

I received an email from the vice chair of graduate studies yesterday. My field is Early American. Best of luck!

So, I was talking to one of my professors tonight about this. She is a Purdue grad, and she has been through this whole process (and not too long ago- she graduated in 2021). She said if you have not gotten a rejection yet, that's not necessarily a bad thing. It means you were not given the desk rejection, and you could either be on a waitlist, headed for a waitlist, or they're trying to secure funding for more positions, etc. This waiting is killing me too, as now I've found out that that's where I sit with TWO of my schools, and I got the desk rejection from my third. Hang in there. 

So, I was talking to one of my professors tonight about this. She is a Purdue grad, and she has been through this whole process (and not too long ago- she graduated in 2021). She said if you have not gotten a rejection yet, that's not necessarily a bad thing. It means you were not given the desk rejection, and you could either be on a waitlist, headed for a waitlist, or they're trying to secure funding for more positions, etc. This waiting is killing me too, as now I've found out that that's where I sit with TWO of my schools, and I got the desk rejection from my third. Hang in there. 

You heard back from Cornell? I applied but have not heard anything. Waiting on them and a few others. This whole process is killing me - if anybody going through this can talk, let me know. I am just not OK. 

10 spots is brutal... I'm sorry to hear that though. You still seem like a great applicant. Best of luck for your other choices ❤️

I'm not sure whether to be nervous or excited... maybe nervo-cited?

Not going to lie, I'm sitting here with all my portals up at work hitting the refresh button every so often on them, as well as on the results page on GradCafe so I can see if/when anyone gets notice. So, yeah. I'm there too.  Good luck!

Not going to lie, I'm sitting here with all my portals up at work hitting the refresh button every so often on them, as well as on the results page on GradCafe so I can see if/when anyone gets notice. So, yeah. I'm there too.  Good luck!

Not going to lie, I'm sitting here with all my portals up at work hitting the refresh button every so often on them, as well as on the results page on GradCafe so I can see if/when anyone gets notice. So, yeah. I'm there too.  Good luck!

I did it, everyone. I got my first decision and thankfully it was an acceptance. I can actually stop stressing about grad school as no matter what the other schools say I am getting my Masters. Binghamton was not my first choice, but it was one of my choices so I am very happy. I wish you all the best and hope everyone else who is still waiting hears soon. 

Historically, in years past, this is the week for decisions for Purdue and IU Bloomington. So, anyone waiting on those, I hope this is our week! ??

Historically, in years past, this is the week for decisions for Purdue and IU Bloomington. So, anyone waiting on those, I hope this is our week! ??

Cornell admit here! I do 20th C European History and gender history 

Regarding reaching out to POI’s yea it helps…..this whole process is very political. If your advisor or recommenders know professors x y and z at say, Princeton, and they introduce you, and you make a connection, then you have a better chance. 
 
my personal opinion which is shared by many academics, and especially at top schools, is it’s a sad reflection of our current labor market that you have to reach out to POIs. The application should be enough of an introduction. Many profs hate it when they get these emails, but it feels like it’s necessary if you want to have a chance. I think, collectively, we should advocate for the abolishment of this practice. If you want to get into somewhere with solid funding, you have to apply to like 15 or more schools, so if you talk to three profs at those schools, that’s 45 fricken people! Who has time for that? I work full time and am in school so I do not. Plus you’d have to know long in advance exactly where you are going to apply. 
 
summary: the need to reach out to POIs is real, but it’s bull and exploitation of our time and energy, and thus we should all come together to advocate against it as we hopefully progress in the academy, though not looking good for me. 
 
We should also push to abolish the whole notify acceptees before sending out rejections. Like just send them out all at once. 
 
has anybody heard from Cornell or Michigan? Seems like schools would know by now so not sure what they are waiting for. 

How do you know I’m not admitted anywhere? I got two acceptances. 
Besides, not all of us are applying from “New Haven”. I’m applying from the Middle East where only a fraction of people can guide me through my applications at my home institution. And the advice I’ve received from the POIs is not the only reason applicants should reach out. There are hundreds of applications for 10-15 spots and if the professors reviewing these applications know your name, how could that not help? 

Of course one should temper expectations no matter how these meetings go but these meetings aren't helpful solely for the reason of figuring out your chances in the program. Especially for people unfamiliar with US admissions, there are deep gaps in knowledge that home institutions can seldom help with. I had one professor from undergrad and master's combined who had a us doctoral education so these meetings are great way to familiarise yourself with the process, understand what kind of mentorship is being offered and get sense of if the program is a right fit. I had really good conversations with POIs and sure I wasn't admitted to every single program where I had a good meeting but those were extremely productive conversations about sources, possible directions where the project could head towards and intellectual environments of diff spaces so I wouldn't outrightly say don't reach out at all, i think like most aspects about this process it's a case by case decision. 

Regarding reaching out to POI, I would encourage most applicants to reach out. I had professors who let me know they would be retiring during the time I'd be in the PhD program, and they suggested other scholars in the field who might be interested in working with me. That saved me the work of an extra application/the fee. It depends on the institution, but there are also certain professors who greatly impact whether a student is admitted. The institutions where I was admitted didn't have the professors who were the most effusive about my project, but they were the POI who directly told me to list them as my primary advisor in my SOP. So it might not be the thing that makes or breaks, but it has certainly been helpful in my experience. 

Congratulations! If you are comfortable financially with a lower stipend vs cost of living, then I would go with School #2. You want a program with a good track history going in. I've been the guinea pig for programs before and its rough. 

Hi all,
 
I was just accepted into two PhD programs and am struggling to make my decision: my professors tell me that both are great options and I "can't lose" but that does not abate the stress.
 
School 1 has: 1) excellent funding guaranteed for six years 2) my advisor is one of the top historians in my general field but not my sub field 3) my other advisor is a newer prof whose work overlaps with mine a lot and 4) it is a new program for my major field, thus, it does not have any placement records - all grad students in my field are still in their PhD 5) I have a strong rapport with my prospective advisors
 
School 2 has: 1) much much lower, but still survivable, funding 2) my advisor a top 5 professor in my sub field whose interests overlap with mine a lot 3) my advisor has an excellent placement record of getting PhD students TT jobs and 4) my other advisor specializes in the exact country and period I am most interested in. 5) I have a strong rapport with both of them
 
My ultimate goal is to come out with a tenure track position, enjoy my time in grad school and produce the best research I can

I don't think outright rejecting the practice of reaching out to POIs is a good idea. In my case, certainly not all POIs encouraged me to apply. However, all of those who did encourage me told me to reach out to multiple faculty members to increase my chances. They gave tips on who to reach out to and how to frame my project in my SOP. They introduced me to their current graduate students who helped me in ways I could not even dream of. I'm certainly aware that communicating with faculty beforehand does not guarantee admission but I don't think it's a "waste of time".